Village Squire, 1974-12, Page 5The Gallery's director Robert Swain with R. York Wilson's The Social Worker.
The
Gallery/
Stratford
One
of Canada's
finest galleries
"I don't know much about art but I know
what I like."
It's a common joke among people
associated with art about the ordinary citizen
and his knowledge (or lack of knowledge) of
art. The person who doesn't know anything
about art except that he thinks the only good
painting is one that looks like a photograph of
the scene or person in question may be a joke
in the art world, but how is he supposed to
learn more about what is good and what isn't?
The answer, according to most people
involved in art is to look at good art and look
again. But where is someone in a rural area
supposed to get to see good art?
Well, until a few years ago that was a
problem. That was back before the Stratford
Art Association committed itself to a public
exhibit area. The group had started in 1951 as
a small group of artists and had grown to
number 400 by 1966. In order to promote
visual arts further, they felt a permanent
home was required.
After looking throughout Stratford for a site
for the gallery, the members settled on the
idea of using the old pump house on Romeo
street. The building was built in the 1880's
but has been sitting derelict for some years.
The City of Stratford agreed to rent the
building at a nominal fee. The association
began raising money and was preparing to
renovate the building a little at a time. But
Rothmans of Pall Mall which had been
involved with events at the Stratford Festival
for some time took an interest. Rothmans was
getting more involved in the sponsorship of
the arts.
It had sponsored outdoor exhibitions on the
Festival Theatre lawn. The company decided
it would like to have a gallery where it could
open its exhibits before taking them on tour
across the country.
As a result, Rothmans kicked in a Targe
sum of money (gallery director Robert Swain
estimates the company has invested more
than a million dollars in the gallery) and
instead of opening the building a little at a
time, the whole building was renovated at
once and opened in June 1967.
That marriage will end this December
when Rothmans withdraws its annual support
of the gallery. But in the eight seasons that
Rothmans contributed to the gallery,
residents of Stratford and Perth and Huron
counties, as well as visitors, have had a
chance to see some exciting exhibits: Exhibits
such as this summer's The Art of Aboriginal
Australia or the Michelangelo exhibit.
Rothmans is also leaving Stratford and area
with one of the finest galleries in the nation,
according to Mr. Swain. The gallery has all
the proper temperature and humidity
controls, a very flexible lighting system and
walls that are covered in cloth for the proper
viewing of the art exhibits.
"There are larger galleries," Mr. Swain
says, "and galleries that have more money to
operate on, but very few galleries in Canada
with as good facilities. It is second to none in
Canada. So the Stratford community and
VILLAGE SQUIRE/NOVEMBER 1974, 3